Mr. CEO(8)

“A price?” I ask. It’s all I want. And frankly, I’m so anxious to ensure I have my Rose under my thumb that I need to be careful and not agree to the first number he spits out.

Murphy straightens his tie and shifts slightly in his seat. Finally, he gives me the answer I’ve been waiting for and says, “The board won’t settle for anything less than sixty million.”

They don’t even know their own worth. This is going better than I could’ve hoped.

Trent sits back in his seat and then looks at me. I can feel his gaze on me, but I ignore it. It’s the we’ve won look. I can practically hear him screaming, Take the deal!

“We’ll settle on fifty-five and your entire operations will relocate immediately. There’s a floor that’s prepared to accommodate your current staff and needs although it will need to be outfitted as the two of you see fit.”

I know the offer is lower than what he asked, but not by much. It’s a shit ton lower than what I anticipated paying. I could give him the sixty mil he asked for, but the old man is bluffing. No one in this business gives a bottom line price on the first offer. No one.

“And the cost of the outfitting?” Murphy asks with a raised brow. I resist the pull at the corner of my lips to smile. I know I’ve got him.

“Company expenses--of course, my company expenses.” He purses his lips and looks at Hastings.

“Do we have a deal?” I ask in an even tone. My face is neutral. I keep it that way for a reason. No emotions in business.

Murphy gives me a broad smile as he says, “We have a deal, Mr. Parker.” He reaches his hand out and I easily give him a firm handshake with my other hand on top of his. I finally allow the grin to show. She’s mine.

“You’ll have the files faxed to you in the morning, and I’ll see you on Monday.” I finally give him a nod as I rise from the table.

“Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Parker,” he says, releasing me from the firm handshake.

I force the smile to stay put and reply, “The pleasure is all mine.”

Trent follows my lead as I make for the door, leaving everyone else to do whatever the hell they want.

A sense of ease settles through me at the thought of Rose and knowing she’ll be in my building in only a few short days. That’s too long to wait, but it’s the best I can do in terms of business. For now, I’ll need to be patient and that may be a challenge. If anything, I can find her here and buy her a drink. I remember the way she looked the first night at the bar, the way she bolted.

A smile slips into place as I realize she won’t be able to do that now. I’ve got her now.

Trent gives me a hard smack on the back as we walk out of the room.

“You’re a shark, Logan,” he says with a smile. I huff a small laugh and try to push down the anxiety and unsettling feelings that are threatening to consume me. If only he knew my real reason. That would wipe the smile off his face.





Chapter 6





Charlotte





“I’m gonna f*ck five hot guys tonight,” Hannah, one of my new coworkers, announces as she grins and leans back in the seat. She’s tipsy and happy and just joking around. And it’s infectious. She laughs as she fixes the straps of her black clubbing dress. I swear her D-cup boobs are about to pop out. But maybe that’s what she wants. “It’s five or bust!”

We’re driving in a corporate stretch limo up the Las Vegas strip. The girls--Eva, Hannah and Cary Ann--want to hit a couple of casinos and a few clubs before returning to our hotel rooms to retire for the night. I’m not sure I want to be a part of the excursion, but Eva convinced me to join in on the fun to keep up with appearances.

As the new girl, she didn’t want me to seem like a Debbie Downer to the others.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we all piled into the limo, but I found myself quickly relaxing when I realized the other girls had quite the sense of humor. All of them seem down to earth and don’t take themselves seriously, which is a good thing. It makes fitting in with them easier.

Cary Ann, a petite blonde with platinum highlights, frowns. She’s seated across from me and is wearing a purple dress that is far too short, the hem rising so far up her legs that I think I can almost see her uterus. Cary jokes, “Only five? Why not make it ten?”

“Yeah,” adds Eva. She’s sitting next to me and she’s looking pretty hot in her red-hot halter dress and her dark red hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, if I say so myself. Her makeup is flawless and her eyes, which are framed by dark mascara and liner, look bigger than usual. “It’s Vegas, chica. Go big or go home.”

Hannah bites her lower lip, twisting her face into a serious expression. “I don’t know, guys. I’d definitely do ten guys if I could... but…” She trails off and shakes her head morosely.

“But what?” Cary Ann demands, leaning forward as the limo goes over a speed bump and we all jolt to the side.

Hannah pauses for a long moment before breaking out into a wide grin and howls, “I don’t know if I have enough holes!”

The girls scream with laughter. Even I have to join in. I really need a good laugh and a fun time after all the stress I’ve been through these last two weeks. The f*cking breakup. The pressure from the presentation. The feeling of dread I feel about returning home and finding my boyfriend hasn’t moved out yet. Or worse, finding him shacked up in bed with Sarah.